When we say it was really difficult to choose a piece of artwork to use for the cover of our anthology, we mean it. We had so many amazing submissions, among them this portrait by Al Hess (he/him):
When we saw it, we knew it had to make it into the anthology. It screamed "feature article" to us, one about an inspiring public figure.
We wanted to know: Who is this person? What pronouns do they use? What's their story?
Here's what Al had to say about his work when he submitted it:
"In considering your entry requirements, I was overwhelmed with choice in who to depict, because nonbinary doesn’t look like any one thing. I wanted to portray someone graceful and intelligent who is in the public eye in some capacity, like a political figure or inventor, leading the way toward a better future. I have a love of holographic sci-fi tech and 1930s art deco aesthetics, so those made their way in as well."
It'll look something like this in the anthology:
This is where you come in.
What's the feature article about? Is it about this person's work as an inventor? Or a politician? Maybe they're a businessperson, or a fashion designer. In short, why is this person interesting to an international audience in the year 2068? We're excited to see what you come up with!
Our submissions are currently open until July 15th, 2021. Check out our submission guidelines for more details.
About the artist: Al Hess is a portrait artist working in both pencil and oils. When not hunched over an art desk, he can be found hunched before a computer screen. Author of two sci-fi series, Al writes cozy and uplifting stories in normally gritty genres. Visit his website cultofsasha.com and find him on Instagram @cult_of_sasha.
Are you as excited by this project as we are? Help spread the word by sharing our Kickstarter, if you can! The Kickstarter ends on April 30, 2021 at 12:30pm Pacific Time.